Cordless electric iron and stand assembly



Jan. 21, 1958 OATES JR 2,820,877

CORDLESS ELECTRIC IRON AND STAND ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 16, 1956 INVENTOR. David J. D'aLegJ'n.

L 26 BY 1'2 2 9 f; 28 5% M M i farny United States PatentO lice 2,820,877 CORDLESS ELECTRlC TRON AND STAND ASSEMBLY David J. Oates, J12, Rocky Mount, N. C. Application August 16, 1956, Serial No. 604,529 4 Claims. (Cl. 219-25) This invention relates to electric irons and, more particularly, to an iron which has no attached cord.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide an electric iron of the type mentioned, which is energiied and heated by and in response to placing it upon a stand when not in actual use, v Aiaother object is to provide a cordless electric iron which is neat and attractive in appearance and which when placed thereon makes positive contact with termi nals incorporated in the stand to close the circuit through the heating elements of the iron. I

A further object is to provide an assembly of cordless electric iron and stand therefor, wherein the two coopcrate to positively position the iron when placed upon the stand and to automatically close its heating circuit.

A still further object is to provide an iron and stand assembly wherein the danger of shock is practically eliminatecl both when the iron is on the stand and also when it isremoved therefrom and in use.

Another object is to provide an assembly as described in the preceding paragraphs wherein the parts carried by the iron may be incorporated therein as a permanent part of the iron or with equal facility, may be made in the form of an attachment for existing irons of the type now having a cord.

A still further object is to provide an iron and stand assembly which is relatively easy and inexpensive to construct, and positive, safe and reliable in operation throughout its life. 7

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a study of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing.-

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the stand with electric iron in heating position thereon,

Figure 2 is a plan view on a reduced scale, of the stand with the iron removed and showing the heating circuit in dotted lines,

Figure 3 is a sectional View as indicated by line 3-3, Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a detail view showing inside elevation the protrusion attached to the iron for making electrical contact with the stand,

Figure 5 is a schematic sectional view of the safety switchand taken in a plane identified by line 5'-5, Figure 2, and- Figure 6 is a wiring diagram of the heating circuit.

Referring in detail to the drawings wherein like referer'ice numerals identify corresponding parts in all views, 1 indicates generally an electric iron and 2 a stand therefor. As best shown in Figures 1 and 2, the stand comprises a base 3' which may be a generally fiat or planar metallic element, and an iron supporting element 4' having a shape corresponding to the base of the iron and a raised rim 5 as clearly shown upon Figures 1 and 2, to receive, positively position, and retain the iron thereon in heating position. The base 3 and support 4 are rig idly and: integrally united in any'suitable manner at their rear ends, as at 6, Figure l, and at their forward ends by a column or connection 7, whereby the iron support slopes downwardly and rearwardly when base 3 is--positioned upon a horizontal surface. The slope should be sufficient to cause the iron to slide rearwardly into engagement with a contact-housing generally" identified at 8.

Patented Jan. 21, 1958 2 The housing 8 is rigidly attached to and upstandsffoin the rearward end of base 3 and ma be formed of-shet metal to define a central vertical well 9 of non-circular; horizontal cross section slidably receiving a correspond ingly shaped contact float or plunger 10. This float may be a hollow metallic element with insulating inserts, as shown, or it may be a solid element of heat-resistingdi electric material.

lreferably the float 10 has its top surface formed as a longitudinally extending channel, v shaped in cross section (.see Figures 3 and 6), with electrical contacts 11 and 12in its respective angularlyuelated faces. Froiii Figure 3 it will be noted that a coil spring"- 13 has'its ends positioned in seats 14 and 15- in the underside of the plunger and the bottom of the well 9, respectively, and acts to urge the plunger upwardly outof the well; Up ward movement of the plunger is limited by' stops such as 16 and 17 defined by downwardly-turnedfianges of contact housing. The parts are so constructed and arranged that, when the iron is in heating position on the stand, its contact element, subsequently described,- en gages the float and holds the same down slightly, against the urge of spring 13.-

The stand or, more particularly,- support 4, mounts asafety switch 18 on its under surface centrally of its" rearward end, as clearly shown by Figures 1 and 2. This:

switch is preferably a double-pole device, such as amicros-witch, having a toggle or button 19 protruding upwardlythrough ahole in the iron support. As indicated upon Figure 5, this switch is an on-off element, normally biased to open-circuit position by means such'as spring 30 and havingv two pairs of relatively insulated contacts both closed by and in response to downward pressure upon'tog gle 19.

The iron 1 is provided with a contact extension 20 rigidly attached thereto and protruding reafwa'rdly there from. Preferably, this extension is attached to the handle 1 of the iron so that it is relatively unaffected by the heat of the iron. This contact extension may be of heat-fe sisting dielectric material and has a rearward projection 20aformed V-shapedin cross section corresponding to the V-shaped channel of the plunger 10 so that the two fit together as shown upon Figures 3 and 6. The projection 20a has longitudinally-elongated contact bars 21' and 22 embedded in its respective angularly-related' faces. As is clear from inspection of Figure 3, these bars protrude a short distance outwardly of the planes of their respective faces, so'that when the iron is in heating position upon the stand, each bar 21 and 22,- makes ele'c trical contact with the contacts: 11 and 12, respectively; of float or plunger It]. It will be understood; of course;

' that the plane faces forming the V-shaped channel of the" plunger, are each parallel with the corresponding plane surfaces formingthe V of the extension. Leads 23 and 24, Fig. 4, extend from the respective bars 21 and 22 and are connected with the heating element 1b of the "iron. See Figure 6. A plug-in cord 25ex'tends front stand 2. v

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, and assuming the iron" is upon the stand, the energizing circuit may be traced from one side of the line at 26,- through the correspond in'g contacts of double-pole switch 18 and lead 27 to* contacts 12- and 22, heating element 1b of the iron and thence to the other sideof the line 28 by contacts21, 1-1;

lead 29 and the remaining pole of switch 18'.

Due to the fact that the extension'20-and the topof thepl'unger 10 have mating surfaces, as previously ex plained, circuit-closing contact-ispositive, and maintained by'spring 13 as long as theiron remains upon th'e'staritl-L Furthermore, iriuse, the iron-isusually positioned a little" forwardlyon the stand and as it slidesdownintb'ithe' I position shown upon Figure 1, there is a wiping:-ttotttti a'f between the bars 21, 22 and the contacts 11 and 12, whereby good electrical contact is maintained throughout the life of the instrument. The extension 20, being upon the handle of the iron in the preferredform, does not become highly heated, while the small area of contact between the housing 8 and the iron when the latter is in heating position, prevents any large amount of heat from passing to the housing so that the latter remains relatively cool. It is contemplatedthat, if desired, a heat-insulating pad or material may be aflixed to the housing-over this area of contact. Likewise switch 18 may be heat-insulated from the support 4. The parts are so positioned, adjusted and arranged that the weight of the iron when placed upon the stand does not close switch 18 until after extension 20 fully covers float 10 and contact has been completed at 11, 21 and 12, 22. Since both contacts 11 and 12 are connected through the switch 18, they are both dead before the iron is fully removed from the stand so that there is no possibility'of obtaining a shock by accidentally touching either orboth of these contacts.

I -The use ofthe invention will be clear from the foregoing descriptiom To heat the iron, the stand is plugged into any convenient outlet and the iron is placed thereon. When up to the desired heat the iron is removed, used, and replaced upon the stand, after each use, to maintain a. nearly uniform even temperature. (Due to the fact that the iron itself has no cord attached to it, it is very convenient and safe to use, while-adequate heat is sup plied during the periods it is upon the stand.

Particular attention is directed to the fact that, as shown in Figure 3, the top surfaces of housing 8 are sloped and coplanar with the respective top surfaces of plunger 10 when the later is in uppermost position. Due to this construction, the projection 20a coacts with the surfaces of the housing to automatically centralize the iron into propcr'heating relation with the stand when placed thereon.

I have thus provided an electric iron and stand assembly which fulfills all the objects l have enumerated, while aflording'a device which is very convenient to use, relatively inexpensive and easy to construct, and positive and reliable in operation at all times.

In the claims, the longitudinal axis of the iron is a line in the plane lower face thereof, through the point or nose and dividing the face into equal symmetrical areas.

The terms vertical and/ or horizontal are taken with reference to the iron and stand when in the position shown upon Figure 1;

While I have disclosed the preferred embodiment of my invention as presently known to me, various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art after a study of the foregoing specification. Hence it is my desire that the disclosure be taken in an illustrative sense; and I desire to reserve all modifications and substitutions of equivalents within the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric iron and stand assembly, an iron having a projection extending longitudinally from its rearward end, said projection having its under surface formed as tworangularly-related planes whose line of intersection is parallel with the longitudinal axis of said iron, a metallic contact bar carried by each said plane face in parallel with line of intersection, a stand constructed and arranged to support said iron and to hold the iron in forwardly and upwardly sloping position, a plunger, means fixed with. said stand mounting said plunger for vertical move ment toward and from said projection when said iron is in position upon said stand, the upper surface of said plunger being formed as a channel V-shaped in cross section and having each plane face thereof parallel with a respective. plane face of said projection, an electrical contact in each said plane face of said plunger, and means urging said plunger toward said projection to bring each contact into engagement with a respective contact bar of saidprojectibnfl 2. An electric iron having a rearwardly and longitudinally extending projection, said projection having a lower surface in the form of two angularly related planar faces whose intersection is generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the iron, an insulated electric contact in each of said faces, a stand constructed and arranged to receive and positively position and support said iron in forwardly and upwardly extending position, a plunger, means carried by said stand at the rearward end thereof guiding said plunger for vertical movement toward and from said projection when said iron is positioned as aforesaid, said plunger having its upper face confronting said projection, formed as a channel V-shaped in cross section and having its faces parallel with the faces of said projection, an electrical contact carried by each said face of said plunger to engage a corresponding contact of said projection, and means urging said plunger into engagement with said projection.

3; In a cordless electric iron and heating stand assembly','an electric iron having a projection extending rearwardly and longitudinally therefrom, said projection having downwardly-facing angularly related longitudinally extending planar faces, a pair of electrical contacts each carried by a respective face in substantially coplanar relation therewith, a stand comprising a forwardly and upwardly extending iron support having means about its periphery to engage and position said iron in predetermined relation therewith with its point elevated, a plunger having its top shaped as a V-channel to receive and fit about the angularly related faces of said projection, a pair of contacts each carried by a respective side wall of said V-channel for engagement with a respective contact of said stand guiding said plunger for vertical reciprocation only, and spring means urging said plunger upwardly toward said extension when said iron is in predetermined position on said stand.

4. In a cordless electric iron and stand assembly, an electric iron having a projection extending longitudinally and rearwardly therefrom and formed with two angularlyrclated, longitudinally-extending plane faces on its under surface, a pair of longitudinally extending metallic contact bars each embedded in a respective one of said faces and electrically connected with the heating elements of the iron, a base, an iron support constructed to receive and position the iron in predetermined relation with respect thereto, means rigidly mounting said support in forwardly and upwardly inclined position upon said base, means fixed on said base at the rearward end thereof and defining a normally vertical well below said support, a plunger slidably fitting Within said well and having a pair of upwardly-facing angularly-related plane faces, each parallel with and engageable with a respective face of said pro jection when said iron is in position on said support, a pair of insulated contacts each carried by a respective face of said plunger, a spring acting between said plunger and base and urging the plunger into projection-contacting position, a double-pole switch fixed with said support and spring-biased to normally open position, said switch including an operating element projecting upwardly above the plane of said support to be engaged and moved by said iron when positioned upon the support to thereby close said switch, and a pair of leads each connecting a pole of said switch with a respective contact of said plunger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,562,224 Gansert Nov. 17, 1925 1,679,756 Allen Aug. 7, 1928 1,851,685 Salmon Mar. 29, 1932' 1,994,877 Shoop et a1. Mar. 19, 1935 2,714,650 Werner Aug. 2. 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS i 161,033 Switzerland W.. June 16, 1933 167,139 Switzerland May 1, 1934 

